Our Story

Bridging Global Insight and Artistic Excellence

The Sarasota Institute of Lifetime Learning (SILL) was founded on a core belief: mature minds thrive on exercise. We provide more than just lectures; we offer a gateway to intellectual discovery and the vital social engagement that research shows is essential to a high quality of life.

Our Programs

For decades, SILL has been the premier destination for high-level discourse in Southwest Florida. Our 12-week season, running from January through March, features two distinct series:

Global Issues: We host world-class experts—including renowned academics, diplomats, military leaders, and journalists—to provide non-partisan analysis of the forces shaping our world.
Music Mondays: A unique blend of performance and conversation, this series brings together local and international artists to share their craft, techniques, and the personal stories behind their music.
Sill for Communities: Bringing SILL beyond our venues, this offering delivers our Global Issues and Music Mondays programs directly to senior living communities, creating opportunities for lifelong learning, meaningful conversation, and connection.

Innovation & Accessibility

What began in Sarasota has grown to meet the needs of a modern audience. We are proud to serve the communities of Sarasota, Venice, and Lakewood Ranch with live events.

Recognizing that flexibility is key to lifelong learning, we have fully embraced the digital age. Every SILL presentation is now available via Video on Demand (VOD). Whether you have limited mobility, live outside the region, or simply prefer to learn from the comfort of home, our entire seasonal catalog is accessible at your fingertips.

Assistive Listening devices are available for in-person programs at First United Methodist Church and the Venice Community Center on a first come, first served basis. Your driver’s license or credit card will be retained until the receiver is returned at the end of the lecture.

Driven by Community

SILL is a unique, volunteer-led organization. With no paid staff, our team of over 100 dedicated volunteers ensures that every dollar contributed goes directly toward maintaining the high caliber of our programming. Our mission remains clear: to keep world-class lifelong learning accessible, affordable, and engaging for all.

Our History

The Early Years
SILL was founded in 1972 by Dr. Evelyn Duvall
Evelyn, a retired college professor and Sarasota resident who attended the first White House Conference on Aging. She came back enthused with the idea that older minds need exercise as much as, or more than, their bodies. She invited the White House Chair to give the Keynote Address for a Creative Retirement Conference held in Sarasota in March of that year. She established her fledgling organization under the guidance of the National Institute of Lifetime Learning and partnered with the National Retired Teachers Association and American Association of Retired Persons. At the conclusion of the Conference participants were invited to register for “neighborhood courses” offered from mid-March through April. Early offerings focused on discussion groups around the City, each led by a moderator, some on topics mostly of interest to retirees, for example: health, investment and adaptation to retirement lifestyle. Soon however, the organization’s more serious programs on major public issues became its true strength.
1978
the "Season" was established
As the idea took hold, more people were attracted, and the program changed from the intimacy of a small gathering to the formality of a large audience. In 1978, the program established its current season of January through March. Eight seminars, usually six sessions apiece, were offered at three Sarasota locations: Plymouth Harbor, Unity Center of Sarasota and the 1st United Methodist Church.
1981
Expansion to Venice
By the early 1980’s there was a clear awareness that not only had enthusiasm remained high, but interest extended beyond Sarasota. In an effort to assist persons traveling from Venice, a modest program was opened there in 1981. Retired Foreign Service Officer Frances P. Bourne headed the program for the first dozen years. She was a dedicated Venice civic activist for whom Sarasota County named the Jacaranda Boulevard library.
1985
Expanded to Bradenton
A similar expansion into Bradenton took place in 1985. Thirty-six sessions were offered that year in Sarasota, six in Bradenton and six in Venice. In addition to its “International Challenges” series, Sarasota programs offered a variety of series based on themes such as “Lost Civilizations,” “Religion in Changing Times,” and “Genres of the Novel.” Lectures were held at the South Gate Plaza Theater for a number of years before moving in 1990 to the Gulf Gate Theater.
1986
SILL’s Nonprofit Incorporation
In November 1986 the Sarasota Institute of Lifetime Learning (SILL) was incorporated in the State of Florida as a fully tax-deductible, nonpartisan, nonprofit 501(c)3 organization.
1997 - 2006
Growth & Expansion of SILL Venice Programs
Although the Sarasota lecture programs continued to enjoy moderate growth throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, average attendance in Bradenton and Venice was more modest. Accordingly, the outreach experiment at the Bradenton Oakmont Theater was terminated in 1990. Attendance at the Venice Community Center rarely exceeded 150 per lecture, but the decision was reached to continue the program. As the area’s population increased and residents came to recognize and appreciate the SILL Venice product, attendance grew as well. Joseph Roddy was the driving force for expansion between 1997 and 2006. By 2001 Venice was offering a full series of 11 lectures, and in 2002 the program was expanded to its current offering of two series per season, or 12 lectures each on Tuesdays and Fridays. The Venice Community Center was completely renovated and upgraded in 2005, allowing an average of almost 300 people to comfortably attend the Venice lectures in 2006.
2007 - 2012
Program Expansion and New Series Development
Our 2007 season offered another breakout year. The International Series, under new leadership, expanded from 12 lectures to 24. Two fully complementary programs were offered on Wednesday and Thursday in Sarasota, accommodating over 1,000 attendees during the two sessions. Contemporary Public Issues was merged with International Challenges in 2009 to form three Global Issues programs. 2009 brought a new 6 lecture Music Mondays series in Venice which was expanded to 12 in 2012.
2001 - 2015
Rise of our Global Issues Series
No SILL program has matched the enthusiasm generated by our flagship Global Issues Series. This program was expanded and significantly strengthened under the leadership of former Foreign Service Officer Scott Behoteguy. His pursuit of recruiting high level former Foreign Service Officers and think tank experts as guest lecturers created demand for a more advanced learning experience. He met the need by establishing a Seminar Series that allowed a small group of participants to join in a three hour exchange with the experts, in part signaling a return to some of the original SILL roots. The three session 2001 Seminar Program was increased to 10 sessions in 2006, while attendance at the G.WIZ Museum was held to 25-30 serious students. Attendance at the regular Thursday lecture series was invariably a sellout at the Players Theatre where lectures were held between 2001 and 2015.
2010s
Rapid Growth, Venue Changes, and Digital Transition
SILL continued to grow in the first half of the 2010s, with attendance surpassing 37,000 in 2015. The growing popularity of SILL, especially the Monday Music and Thursday Global Issues series, required moving the Sarasota programs and the Venice Music program to larger venues. The First United Methodist Church replaced the Players Theater and the Church of the Palms replaced Holly Hall. Venice Presbyterian Church replaced Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Venice. With the growth of the Lakewood Ranch development east of I-75, an abbreviated evening program of four lectures was introduced in 2015 and was expanded to a full 12 lecture series in 2017. All of the growth required an increasing number of volunteers as well as the efforts of the Board members. In recognition of the widespread use of credit cards, the registration system was changed in 2015 to allow online purchases of season tickets through the SILL website.
2017-2018
Honoring a Legacy, Continuing the Program
Attendance continued to rise in 2017. Following the passing of longtime Music Mondays leader June LeBell, her husband Ed Alley joined the Board and carried the program forward.
2009s - Present
Commitment Behind SILL’s Success
Finally, SILL’s success is testimony to the commitment of its all volunteer Board of Directors, a small cadre of dedicated unpaid workers, and an active and engaged retirement community keen on understanding the complex and ever-changing world in which we live. We look forward to supporting the community in the 21st Century and hope to see you at one of our lectures!